Certified Fresh: Andy Mineo – Lyrically Ordained Dopeness

Showmanship is a sorely under-valued skill set in Hip-Hop these days, especially when many interpret MC as an acronym for “move the crowd.” It’s easy to spot an artist with a powerful stage presence, but there are so many intangibles that speak to why this crop of MCs connect with and command crowds with an iron fist much better than others.

That was our draw to Andy Mineo, an upstate New York-bred wordsmith, who currently resides in the Uptown streets of Washington Heights. Hip-Hop Wired had the pleasure of seeing him display his wizardry on stage at Santos Party House (an ironic fact that will be clarified in moments) on April 17.

But in retrospect, the quality of his Never Land EP should have been a proper allusion of what his show would bring. Prior to the sold out live performance — some would-be attendees were denied entry due to oversold tickets — we had an opportunity to discuss the music that had the people going.

Who: Andy Mineo, our latest Certified Fresh selection, is both an able MC and a devoted Christian. Yet, his spirit to spit and religious beliefs appear in his music in a way that’s no different than, say, a Clipse-era Malice. Sans the drug references, Mineo’s bars are about finding the common thread that connects us all — one that hopefully evokes a spirit as well.

Credentials: The excess of people who came out to see Mineo at Santos indicates that he could very well be one of Hip-Hop’s best kept secrets. But not for long, as the New Yorker betters his craft with each new project.

Fun Fact: Mineo actually got engaged to his wife-to-be a night prior to the aforementioned show.